103: Avi - City Of Water (Patreon)

Vir soon learned that Rani’s peace and prosperity made for some very boring journeys. While the company was appreciated—he’d warmed up to the party again after their conversation the first night—everything else was monotonous.

The same perfectly maintained road led them the entire way south, making the navigation simple. No highwaymen accosted them, demanding ransom, and the weather was mild and temperate the whole way. Even Neel had begun itching for some action, and he ran alongside the Ash’va’s more often than not these days.

He’d learned much during that time. Tia and her friends were good people, even with their views on the Pagan Order. The group was tight-knit, and there was a loyalty there that simply couldn’t be bought. Loyalty and trust, built up over a lifetime of friendship. Vir would never fit in, but they made for ideal traveling companions; he couldn’t complain.

And now, after more than a week of travel, they’d arrived at Avi.The City of Water. River City. He’d heard the stories, but nothing had prepared him for the glorious sight ahead.

Avi wasn’t like the other places he’d visited. Normally, a city had roads leading up to its tall walls. Avi… had waterways. The entire city butted up against the South Legion mountains to the west. On all other sides, water surrounded it, and small canals led into the city, bisecting the walls. And while the walls were tall and manned, the waterways had no gates on them—anyone could enter, provided the boat was small enough to fit.

That gave Vir pause. “How do they fit ships inside the city? Those canals look way too small.”

They currently stood at the north shore nearby. A great moat separated them from the city, and the only way in was to charter a canal boat.

“They don’t,” Tia said, pointing to the southern shore.

The haze was thick on Daiya Lake, and Vir had to strain to see silhouettes in the distance. But there was no mistaking the tall masts of ocean-going vessels.

“Ships enter via the Avi canal to the south, which leads out to the ocean. Then they put in at the docks to the south, where they offload supplies. Crates are then transferred to canal boats and sent into the city that way. I know, it sounds inconvenient, but they have enough of those boats that it’s actually not much of a bother. And it makes attacking the city incredibly hard.”

It surprised Vir that such a peaceful economy would build their capital with military defense in mind, but it was a smart decision. Diplomacy only went so far, after all.

“Besides, Avi’s waterways are a feature of the city,” said Haymi. “It makes the city incredibly unique, with its hundreds of bridges. I just booked us passage on a boat. We’re to gather over by those piers.”

A dozen small jetties jutted out into the clear blue lake, along with several dozen small canal boats sat. Long enough to seat twenty people and just wide enough to accommodate a few Ash’va at the center, they looked custom designed to fit through Avi’s waterways.

The ride over was awe-inspiring as Avi’s tall walls loomed ever closer. A mist had settled upon the lake, limiting visibility and making the journey feel a little eerie. Shadows would sometimes appear suddenly—other boats—before veering away. Both Neel and Bumpy fared well, remaining quiet during the entire journey. It was as if the fog had muted the entire boat—no one spoke, and when they did, only in hushed whispers.

It was a wonder how the boats never crashed into each other, but their Magic Lanterns placed high atop a post helped identify them in the fog. Only two rowers were needed to propel the Lighten Load equipped boat, which seemed to glide adopt the water, rather than cut through it.

Then they crossed through the canal into the city, and the fog lifted almost immediately. Under a bright blue sky, canal boats thronged, negotiating around both each other and the tight waterways. Innumerable short bridges soared overhead. At only twenty paces across, they arced heavily in the center to allow boats to pass underneath as Ranians bustled above them, going about their business.

And above it all loomed not only a glorious Vimana, but several dozen hot air balloons of all colors, idling above the city.

The city immediately felt like an upsized Zorin. The multicolored roofs were present here too, though the dominant themes seemed to be red and pink. Roses decorated the bridges, and Avi’s denizens wore all manner of outfit, many of which were even zanier than the ones Vir had encountered in Zorin.

After spotting two dozen, Vir lost count of the number of bridges. He couldn’t even place where they were within the city, as their boat took turn after turn, navigating the many crisscrossing water ways. He suspected that nearly all parts of the city were accessible by boat.

They finally put in along the side of the canal. A stone platform at water level allowed them to debark, and a stone ramp led up to the street level.

Vir followed Tia’s example and led Bumpy, rather than riding him. With the number of people who thronged Avi’s streets, the poor animal would’ve had a rough time.

“Let’s check in at the Brotherhood first. They can stable our Ash’va. Just hope they have rooms left for us. Never seen this many mercs in Avi before.”

True enough, warriors in armor filled the streets. The upcoming mission seemed to have drawn in mercenaries from all over, just as it had them.

Vir did his best not to gawk at Avi’s opulence. Unlike Daha’s castle district, Avi’s wealth was far better distributed. Nearly every street boasted immaculate roads and multistory buildings of stone construction. Painted artwork was common, and roses were everywhere, decorating anything and everything.

Each major city he saw, Vir swore to himself that he wouldn’t be so easily impressed. And yet each city he’d visited was impressive in its own way. Except, unlike the country bumpkin he used to be, at least now, he could analyze the various features and cross reference it against his experience. It made him come across as just a little less of a bumpkin.

The Brotherhood Sanctum was no less impressive than the one in Daha. Built with nearly identical architecture, it seemed the Brotherhood cared little for local customs. There were no roses adorning the Sanctum, though some locals had certainly tried to decorate the building—trampled roses lay on the ground immediately in front, making Vir wonder whether the Brotherhood actively removed them when people placed them on its carved stone sculptures and busts.

Inside, the building was downright packed. Chatter and laughter echoed across the stone, creating a din of noise. The receptionist spoke with three parties at once, and mercenaries pushed past each other.

Unlike the one at Daha, there was a bulletin board here with a large piece of paper. Vir let Tia handle the accommodations while he meandered over to the board.

On Behalf of the Avi Mining Company:

We seek talented Mercenaries to rid the Nihira Mine of dangerous prana and ash beasts that have appeared recently. Suspected to number in the several dozens, this contract is open to all willing to brave the danger.

Rewards will be issued per confirmed kill, as follows:

Prana Beasts ranking Balar 1-5: 10 coppers and 5 Brotherhood Karma

Ash Beasts ranking Balar 6-50: 3 silvers and 50 Brotherhood Karma

Ash Beasts ranking 51-100: 7 silvers and 100 Brotherhood Karma

Ash Beasts ranking 101-150: 15 silvers and 300 Brotherhood Karma

Ash Beasts ranking 151-200: 30 silvers and 700 Brotherhood Karma

Ash Beasts ranking 201 and above will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Please feel free to attend our complimentary banquet on the eve of the extermination.

Vir whistled upon seeing those figures. Sure, a Balar 200 Ash Beast was beyond the means of the vast majority of mercenaries—himself included—but those rewards sure were something. And if someone managed to take down several beasts? They’d be swimming in cash. While he wasn’t in this for the money, it’d certainly help. With nine silvers in his coin bag, he wasn’t exactly strapped for cash, but every bit helped.

Burning Mina’s robe was a sacrifice he’d been reluctant to make, but carrying that robe was a danger to him, and selling without having it traced back to him was a risky proposition, even if he found a reliable fence.

“I got us a room!” Tia said, her eyes twinkling.

“How?” Vir asked. “With this many people here, I was sure they’d be booked out!”

“Our wily leader has her ways… and her connections,” Vason said with a grin.

The room was situated on the second floor, and wasn’t just a room at all. It was a suite. They entered to a common dining and lounging area, with four doors each splitting off into their own room. Overlooking a canal, and with Magic Lanterns set into the vaulted A frame wooden joists, it was a bright, open room.

“I’ll pay my share,” Vir said, but immediately regretted it. He couldn’t even fathom how much a room like this must have cost. It even had its own private bathtub.

“Nonsense! I’d have rented this room even if you weren’t here, so it’s no sweat off my back. Now!” Tia said, eager to change the topic. “About the banquet. I think we oughta attend.”

Haymi and Vason both nodded.

“Good food at these banquets. Free food,” said Vason.

“An opportunity to make connections, and to scope out our competition,” said Haymi.

“And!” Tia added, “a chance to dress up!”

Vir narrowed his eyes. “I, uh, don’t have any clothing suitable for such an occasion.”

Even if he hadn’t burned Mina’s robe, it was far too conspicuous to wear.

“Well then, you know what this means!” Tia said.

The glint in her eye forced Vir to step back unconsciously. “Tia? What are you planning?”

“It’s time for some shopping!”

— —

After several hours of perusing stores, Vir concluded that Avi had far too many shops than were reasonable. They’d been to a dozen already, and there was no end in sight.

Vir initially looked forward to the occasion. He’d never shopped for formal wear, so he went in with an open mind. But the moment he laid eyed on the prices, his excitement became dread.

Ten silvers. Twenty silvers… It was more expensive than armor!

Sure, the designs were smart and made him look like a different person entirely—disguises in their own right—but at what cost?

Tia volunteered to pay for the clothing as a gift, but Vir shot her down. The thought of being so indebted to her made his skin crawl.

At least Neel’s having a ball… The Bandy soaked in all the sights, happily accepting pets and scratches from passersby. For the first time in a very long time, Vir had to put his friend on a leash, lest he run away and get lost in the crowd.

Luckily, his guide incorporated food and sightseeing into their shopping trip. Tia showed him around the various city districts, all of which were impressive and unique in their own right. Some areas bustled with open-air markets while others boasted gardens, jesters, and live musicians. Bridges were ubiquitous, but Vir didn’t see was any hint of poverty. Either they were well hidden, or there really just weren’t any slums around.

Tia said it was the latter, which Vir found somewhat hard to believe.

The Sawai aristocrats maintained their own section of the city, walled off and abutting the Legion Mountains to the west, but it was the castle that impressed Vir the most. At the very heart of the city, and also backing up against the Legion mountains, two enormous waterfalls flowed on either side of the castle, depositing their water into a lake that acted as a moat around the castle.

The only way in was via an incredibly long drawbridge that reminded Vir of Daha. The castle’s bridges, battlements, towers, crenelations, and other design elements had all seemed built with aesthetics in mind, and they each looked like pieces of art to Vir’s eyes. It was a fantasy castle, straight out of the myths and tales he’d heard growing up in Brij.

Finally, Vir found a viable compromise—renting an outfit for the banquet. At two silvers a night, it was a complete ripoff, but slightly less of a ripoff than spending fifteen silvers for it. Vir chose a formal black center-buttoned long suit that extended to his knees.

It had more gold inlays and designs in it than he could count, but retained a certain elegance despite that. Underneath, he’d wear black pants, flowing into black-and-gold suede slippers that curved up at their pointed tips.

That was the fashion these days among Avians, or so Tia said.

To cap their tour, Tia took them to a formal falafel sit-down restaurant she loved.

Vir’s eyes popped when he put one in his mouth. With the savory garbanzo bean sauce it’d been dipped in, the tastes assaulted Vir’s taste buds.

“Well?” Tia asked, a sly smirk on her face.

“Delicious. This might be the most delicious meal I’ve ever had!” Vir said, helping himself to more. The dish was paired with an equally irresistible salad full of the freshest vegetables Vir had ever tasted.

“Another Avi specialty,” Haymi said. “There are certainly no shortages of those.”

“I honestly can’t believe how prosperous this city is,” Vir said between mouthfuls. “It feels… unreal.”

“It’s all thanks to the queen’s lineage, and the policies that have been honored for centuries,” Tia replied. “Turns out, a few centuries of bloodless transitions of power and a dedicated effort on maintaining a neutral economic powerhouse does wonders for a country.”

“It’s the countries that constantly get invaded, or whose thrones are regularly usurped, that lag behind,” Vason said with a frown.

Haymi nodded, swirling her glass of wine. “No one wants to do business in an unstable war-torn country. Trust takes times to develop, and that goes doubly true for countries.”

It’s so different from Hiranya, Vir thought. And it was little wonder; Mina Hiranya plotted to kill her brethren while King Rayid allowed roads to go undeveloped and unmaintained for decades. The largest slum Vir had ever seen ringed the monarch’s capital city—if he couldn’t create prosperity in his very capital, what chance did the rest of the nation have?

Vir didn’t doubt that Rani had its dirty secrets as well, but its prosperity was obvious. People liked living here. They were friendly to one another; they helped each other out. And they walked with such an absolute sense of security, knowing that their country hadn’t been attacked in centuries… it was hard to put into words the kind of multiplicative effect such a country had upon its citizens.

How can Hiranya possibly compete with this?

Vir ruminated on the topic for the rest of the meal, and it was just as they left that things took a surprising turn.

Upon leaving the stained glass doors of the dining establishment, they found a half dozen knights clad in Ranian navy blue and aquamarine plate armor waiting for them.

Leading them was a woman with long platinum-blonde hair that had been intricately tied into a bun. She wore a one piece robe that had more jewels and embroidery than any garment Vir had ever seen.

Her long sleeves completely hid her hands, which she clasped together in front of her.

To Vir’s immense surprise, this Sawai woman curtseyed and bowed her head.

“My lady, you are expected.”

Tia’s eyes widened in panic. She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

“Ha-ha. How polite of you! Ha-ha! Well, if someone as important-looking as yourself’s asking, I can’t possibly say no, can I?”

The lady smiled demurely, but said nothing.

Tia turned to Vir. “Why don’t y’all head back to the Brotherhood and get ready? I’ll join you all at the banquet.”

Vir’s eyes narrowed. He doubted she was in any danger with this Ranian delegation, but it did seem like they were strong-arming her into doing something she didn’t want. He cocked a brow, as if to say, you sure?

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine,” Tia said, waving her hands in front of her. Something was definitely up; she’d never behaved like this before.

“C’mon, friend,” Vason said, slapping a hand on his shoulder. “She’s got leader-business to attend to. Let’s head back to the Sanctum.”

“Right,” Vir said, his eyes lingering on Tia. Both the knights and the woman treated her with deference. The kind of deference you’d give to someone very important.

Guess we both have our share of secrets, don’t we, Tia?